MTV's 'The Challenge' winner Tyler Duckworth dies at 44: reports

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Tyler Duckworth during 17th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Presented By Absolut Vodka - Arrivals at Marriott Marquis in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage for GLAAD)

Tyler Duckworth, reality television star and winner of MTV’s long-running competition show "The Challenge," has died at 44. 

What we know:

The Sun reported that he was found unresponsive in his bathroom just before noon on Tuesday, according to local North Dakota officials. 

His mother later posted to social media Thursday announcing his death. No cause of death was immediately released. 

The backstory:

A native of Colorado, Duckworth first appeared on "The Real World: Key West" before moving into "The Challenge" to compete on four separate seasons, winning twice. He later starred in two spinoffs, "All Stars 2" in 2021 and "All Stars 3" in 2022. 

He recently posted to Instagram about a reunion with fellow alums who attended "The Challenge Mania" event in Minneapolis on July 31. 

What they're saying:

One of his castmates who attended the event later shared on Instagram, "RIP my brother," said Brad Fiorenza, who competed in several seasons with Duckworth, "May your soul live on in the hearts you touched."

Tina Barta, who competed alongside Duckworth for multiple seasons, wrote, ""It’s hard to find the right words when someone who was part of such a meaningful chapter of your life is suddenly gone. We shared an experience that very few people will ever fully understand, and somewhere along the way, it became more than a show or an adventure. It became friendship. It became history. It became family. How blessed am I to be surprised by your visit to Challengemania where I got to hug and kiss you one last time. We didn’t want to leave each other. We never do. I love you."